


Between Dusk and Dawn

by winnieandpig



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, OUAT - Freeform, Outlawqueen - Freeform, regalbeliever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25007683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winnieandpig/pseuds/winnieandpig
Summary: Regina must cope with the death of Robin in the hours after his passing.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Kudos: 9





	Between Dusk and Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one-shot story taking place in 5x21 after the deaths of Robin and Hades. Enjoy!

The room had grown silent. Regina sat, holding Zelena's hand, on the floor of her office. Her face was hot with tears, but her body grew cold with grief. The sudden cry of a baby tore through the room.

"Oh darling," Zelena sobbed. "My precious darling." The woman rose from the floor as Charming ran into the room, gun drawn. His wife followed him, her bow in hand ready to loose an arrow. The sight was one they were not prepared for. Zelena stood, cradling her child; below her, Regina sat, one hand on the chest of the man she loved, the other caressing his face.

"What happened?" Snow sputtered. Lowering her bow, she took a step towards the lost man. Taking a step forward to meet her, Zelena retold the tale of what had happened between sobs and shudders.

"They're gone," she howled. "The both of them."

Everything around Regina seemed to blur. She could feel Robin in her hands, but he was gone. The young girl within her, who had lost the love of her life, began to rebuild the walls Robin had broken down. His face had become cold. Lowering herself to the ground, she placed her head on his chest hoping to hear a heartbeat other than her own. As her eyes closed, Regina could feel warm drops cascade off the bridge of her nose and onto her love's jacket, just as they had done the night Daniel had died.

After Cora had left the barn, Regina could not bring herself to leave his side. His heart lay mixed with the dirt of the stable floors, but she swore she could still hear it beating in his chest. She sat there on the straw and dirt, her head on her true love's chest, for hours until finally her father came and carried her away. The straw beneath her had been replaced with marble and the grief she felt stabbed at the scar in her heart left by a similar blade.

"Regina," Snow said. The softness in her voice made the woman want to crawl inside herself and die. "David, I think I'll stay here a minute. Call Archie and Whale and maybe see if you can get ahold of Emma."

The man nodded. As he took his phone out of his pocket, Zelena thrust her child into his arms.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she said, rushing out of the room. David placed the child into its carrier, lifted it off the table, and followed the woman.

Snow inched closer to the woman and her slain lover. Words escaped her. What do you say to someone mere moments after their true love has been murdered? She said nothing. Kneeling down to the floor, she sat in silence, hoping that her presence would be enough. Regina sensed Snow at her feet.

"Please go," Regina hoarsely whispered. Without hesitation, Snow lifted herself from the ground and left, closing the door behind her.

Now alone, Regina felt the walls being rebuilt within her start to crack and shake. Lifting herself from Robin's chest, she placed her hand at his cheek once more. Shakily, her heart began to voice words her mind was too clouded to make.

"Robin…I love you more than I ever thought I could love another human being and I am so thankful that you were my true love. But, I don't know how to be without you. I don't know how to love myself without knowing your love is there, too. I love you, Robin."

Burying herself into the chest of the man she loved once more, time slipped away. Seconds passed slowly as the minutes sped by.

There was a loud knock at the door followed by the sound of many feet entering into the room accompanied by something with a squeaky wheel.

"Regina," a voice bellowed, "We're here to help Robin. Is he -"

"Get out," she interrupted.

"I'm sorry," the voice responded. "I don't -"

" I said, get out!" the woman cried.

Following orders, the room emptied, and the woman was left alone once more. What seemed like hours had gone by and the mayor had been left undisturbed. Voices whispered in the hall outside the office door, but none dared to enter. Slowly, the light in the room shifted from the bright white of the lightbulbs to a subtle reddish-orange. The rising sun meant only one thing for the woman. Time continued to pass despite her world caving in around her. Laying there, her head on his chest, breathing in his scent, Regina wished she could stay like this forever.

There would be no preservation spell, no stolen hearts, no electrical shocks. Any attempt to bring Robin back would fail. No magical candles or trips to the Underworld would change those odds. He was gone, forever. Wrapping her arms around him, she tried to memorize him and lock it away in a place that would keep the memory safe. Her eyes burned and she couldn't help but squeeze them closed. She'd run out of tears, yet the throbbing ache in her chest made her want to rip her own heart out. Even if she ripped the beating organ and squeezed until it was nothing but dust, Regina would never reunite with her Robin. Not in this lifetime.

The door to the office slowly opened and quietly closed.

Please, not yet, Regina begged whoever was at the door. I can't leave him yet.

"Mom," a small voice said. Henry. "I, uh … They… um…"

In his voice, Regina could hear the faint murmur of crying. As he walked towards her, the ache in her heart became unbearable.

"Mom," Henry said, as softly as he could. "They say it's time." Sitting down next to her, he put his hand on her shoulder. She lay on her side, facing away from the door, her head still on Robin's chest. She couldn't see Henry's face; he couldn't see hers. He knew, though, that he'd never seen his mother like this.

"Please, Henry," a whisper came from the woman. "I can't let him go." Her voice cracked so loud it was painful. So they sat, mother and son, on the marble floor of the office in silence. Henry, his hand on his mother's shoulder. Every so often he would rub her back or lightly squeeze her shoulder – all the things she used to do for him when he was sad. Though he didn't know it, he was keeping her from drifting back into the timeless void she had been trapped in all night.

Behind the closed door, Snow, Charming, Dr. Whale, Archie, and Little John - Roland asleep in his lap - waited in silence. They'd been there for nearly four hours, yet none of them complained. Not even Whale. He sat quietly, playing the numerous games on his phone. He'd seen the scene within the office. The mayor there, laying on Robin. She didn't look like herself. She'd been small; helpless. The way children who get lost in the woods look when they're brought into the ER not knowing where their parents are.

An hour before, when Henry had been brought to try and coax his mother out, they nearly had to force him into the office.

"I don't know what to say to her," he had said, his eyes bright red and puffy from crying.

"Oh, Henry… None of us do. But maybe you being there will help in some way." Snow's eyes were as bright and puffy as his. "Have you heard from Emma?"

Henry nodded.

"She's in the hall. She said that she couldn't come in but that she'd be there until I was ready to leave."

Now, as the boy sat there with his mother, he didn't care about saying the right thing. He didn't care about saying anything at all. He just listened to the ticking of the clock. Beneath his hand, the woman stirred and sat up. As she turned to face him, he saw the familiar brown eyes were now unrecognizable. Pulling a tissue out of his pocket, he handed it to her. Wiping her nose and the makeup from under her eyes, she wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Mom," he said into her shoulder. She didn't say anything, but Henry could feel her sobs. Breaking the hug, Regina turned to look at her love one last time. Taking his face in her hands, she pressed her lips to his. There was no spark of light, or gust of wind, or deep intake of breath. His body had lost all warmth.

"I love you, Robin."

Bringing herself to her feet, Regina stood in the sunlight for a moment. It would all be different this time. She was leaving her love to lay on the ground once more, but she wouldn't be walking out into the cold, dark night alone. She had Henry.

"Henry," she said, still softly but sounding more like herself. "Get me a pillow from the sofa." With a bit of question in his puffy eyes, Henry did as he was told. Placing the pillow beneath Robin's neck and his hands on his chest, she tried to hold back the tears she was sure could not exist. She combed his hair to the side with her fingertips and placed a kiss on his forehead, breathing him in for the last time.

"Roland shouldn't see his Papa and be scared."

Wrapping his arm around his mother's waist, Henry slowly led her towards the door. Regina's vision blurred with tears. The door opened in front of her and the figures of those waiting came into view. No one said a word. Regina felt empty. There was no light in her, but there was also no dark. Only the emptiness one feels when their true love is lost, forever. Henry's eyes met his grandparents'. Snow gave him a small, tear-filled smile as the pair moved into the hallway. There stood Emma, her eyes fixed on the opposite wall. Her eyes were just as red and puffy as the Henry's.

Pausing, Regina's eyes, glazed over and bloodshot, didn't say a word. Emma slowly stepped forward and embraced the woman's rigid form. Having just been through the loss of her love, the blonde could imagine what was going through the woman's head.

"We'll take care of it," the savior whispered. Regina nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. She was biting the inside of her cheeks and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Unsure of what was to happen next, the group stood in the hall for a moment. Seeing Regina was closed off deep inside of herself for now, Henry wrapped his arm around her waist once more.

"I think we'll take a walk," he said, trying to keep a brave face for both of his mothers. Emma gave him a nod. As they walked towards the doors, Henry searched the heavens for something to say.

"I love you, Mom," was all that came to mind. She placed her arm around his shoulder and placed her head on the top of his. Together, they walked into the sunlight.


End file.
